Swinging through history: pendulum conference

13 October 2005

This week UNSW will host the second International Pendulum Conference to explore the pendulum's place in science, culture and education.

"The pendulum played a crucial role in both Galileo's science and Newton's physics, and in the subsequent development of classical physics and astronomy," says Associate Professor Michael Mathews, Conference co-ordinator.

Local and international speakers will present research on scientific, historical, methodological, horological and pedagogical aspects of pendulum motion. The Conference will also include an overlapping two-day teachers conference that will look at new developments and trials involving innovative pendulum-based lessons and programs.

"Don Metz of the University of Winnipeg, Canada, will present a new pendulum-based 14 week science module being developed to integrate science, mathematics, technology and historical study," says Professor Mathews from the School of Education in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Professor Mathews also heads up the International Pendulum Project (IPP), an ARC funded research project to examine approaches to the teaching and learning of pendulum motion at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. The International Pendulum Conference is part of this project.

The International Pendulum Conference runs from 13 - 15 October 2005.
For more information see the IPP website.